Who were the Hitler Youth? If you were a young boy in Germany during the 1920s, 1930s, or 1940s, then you would have found yourself part of the Hitler Youth. The Hitler-Jugend, or Hitler Youth, was an organization created during Hitler’s reign that emphasized the supremacy of both the German nation and the Aryan race ("Hitler Youth." Historic...). It was mainly composed of boys, ranging in age from 10 to 18 years old, though the League of German Girls was later formed and officially part of the Hitler Youth. Hitler believed that he could create his ideal Germany by manipulating young minds into following his ideology. Hitler stated, “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future” ("Adolf Hitler Quotes"), which shows he believed the key to controlling Germany was by controlling its youth and considered the Hitler Youth to be extremely important ("Hitler Youth: Usefulness...). Physical strength as opposed to mental strength was enforced. The majority of the male Hitler Youth activities were outdoor and pre-military based. The program emphasized that “real men proved themselves in war,” and most boys thought of war as an adventure ("Hitler Youth: Mind Set"). Most, if not all, the young boys eventually went into the military after reaching the appropriate age. There are similarities between the Hitler Youth and Boy Scouts since both dealt with camping, hiking, and outdoor activities. The main difference, though, is that the Boy Scouts encourage international relationships while the Hitler Youth was trained to believe Germany was better and superior to everyone else. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Youth or http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/hitleryouth.html.
(An example of a Bund Deutscher Mädel propaganda poster.)
Who was the League of German Girls? If you were a young girl in Germany during the 1920s, 1930s, an 1940s, then it was almost guaranteed that you would be part of the League of German Girls, or Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM), which was the female branch of the Hitler Youth. The organization was created to train young women on how to become a successful woman and wife, learning skills like sewing and cooking as well as singing and dancing, and to teach them approved principals such as the importance of the Aryan race and German superiority. Some of the instructors were also part of the Frauenschaft, or the female wing of the Nazi party. In many ways, the program was similar to Girl Scouts, with both organizations having badges, teaching a variety of activities, and selling items to help support their community. During peaceful times, they actually visited other groups from foreign countries like Spain and Sweden, which was unheard of until then and extremely different from the male Hitler Youth program (Hansen... peacetime.html). During war, the League of German Girls assisted by performing tasks such as collecting medicinal herbs and helping with the Winter Relief, which was collecting shoes and supplies for poor families during the cold season. Some of the older girls assisted as nurses for the wounded in the war (Hansen.....wartime.html) The organization also trained the girls in job categories they never would have had the chance to join. Overall, the League of German Girls made the girls well-rounded and skilled in multiple areas and gave them opportunities they never would have had otherwise. For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_German_Girls, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/BDM.html, or http://www.bdmhistory.com/research/main.html By Mary Grace Frazier Back to the Main Page
For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_Youth or http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/hitleryouth.html.
If you were a young girl in Germany during the 1920s, 1930s, an 1940s, then it was almost guaranteed that you would be part of the League of German Girls, or Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM), which was the female branch of the Hitler Youth. The organization was created to train young women on how to become a successful woman and wife, learning skills like sewing and cooking as well as singing and dancing, and to teach them approved principals such as the importance of the Aryan race and German superiority. Some of the instructors were also part of the Frauenschaft, or the female wing of the Nazi party. In many ways, the program was similar to Girl Scouts, with both organizations having badges, teaching a variety of activities, and selling items to help support their community. During peaceful times, they actually visited other groups from foreign countries like Spain and Sweden, which was unheard of until then and extremely different from the male Hitler Youth program (Hansen... peacetime.html). During war, the League of German Girls assisted by performing tasks such as collecting medicinal herbs and helping with the Winter Relief, which was collecting shoes and supplies for poor families during the cold season. Some of the older girls assisted as nurses for the wounded in the war (Hansen.....wartime.html) The organization also trained the girls in job categories they never would have had the chance to join. Overall, the League of German Girls made the girls well-rounded and skilled in multiple areas and gave them opportunities they never would have had otherwise.
For more information, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/League_of_German_Girls, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/BDM.html, or http://www.bdmhistory.com/research/main.html
By Mary Grace Frazier
Back to the Main Page